Foster Parent Training Requirements

Foster, adoptive and kinship parents are welcome to attend any of our trainings. There is no cost to attend our trainings. All of our trainings are approved for foster parent training credit.

Training Requirements for Foster Parents

In Iowa, foster parents need six hours of training per year whether you have a one or two year license. At least three of those training hours must be done in a group setting. Foster parents must complete their annual training requirements prior to the date listed in the table below. There are some trainings that foster parents are required to take (please see those four required trainings below).

CPR & First Aid

All licensed foster homes must be certified in CPR & First Aid through a nationally recognized training organization or by an equivalent trainer prior to licensure and every three years thereafter. Foster parents shall maintain a certificate indicating the date of training and expiration. You can go to the Four Oaks/LSI site to find a training schedule to take this class.

Mandatory Child Abuse Reporter Training

Foster parents are mandatory reporters of child abuse. As mandatory reporters, foster parents are required to take Mandatory Child Abuse Reporter Training. At least two hours of Mandatory Child Abuse Reporter Training must be taken prior to initial licensing and every five years thereafter. You can go to the Four Oaks/LSI site to find a training schedule or to take this class online, click the link below:FIND A MANDATORY REPORTER CLASS ONLINE

Medication Management Training

Foster parents are required to take Medication Management Training prior to licensure. To complete this requirement, foster parents must read the “Medication Management” booklet and answer the ten review questions on pages 14 and 15 of this booklet. Foster parents must turn in their completed questionnaire to their Licensing Worker in order to receive credit for completing this required course.
This training is worth one hour of foster parent training credit and only needs to be completed one time.View MEDICATION MANAGEMENT booklet (English)View MEDICATION MANAGEMENT booklet (Spanish)

Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard Training

The Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard allows foster parents to give their foster children permission to do age-appropriate activities that promote cognitive, emotional, physical and behavioral growth. All states are now required to promote normalcy for children in foster care.

In order to complete this requirement, foster parents must view the Reasonable Prudent Parent Standard training video. Upon completion of this 30 minute video, foster parents will be directed to a form to complete. After the form is submitted, a confirmation email will be sent to the training participant that completed this required training. Foster parents must forward the email confirmation to their Licensing Worker in order to demonstrate they have received confirmation for completing this required course. All licensed foster parents in Iowa are required to complete the RPPS training within the first year of their license. While this training is required of all foster parents, they will not receive any training credit to apply toward their license renewal. Each foster parent will only need to complete this training once. WATCH RPPS VIDEO

Licensing Deadline for Training Requirements

If you were licensed in the following month:

All of your training requirements must be completed by the following date:

August 2016

May 31, 2017

September 2016

June 30, 2017

October 2016

July 31, 2017

November 2016

August 31, 2017

December 2016

September 30, 2017

January 2017

October 31, 2017

February 2017

November 30, 2017

March 2017

December 31, 2017

April 2017

January 31, 2018

May 2017

February 28, 2018

June 2017

March 31, 2018

Foster Parent Training Forms

You must make an application for renewal of your license by contacting your licensing worker by phone or e-mail at least 30 days and no more than 90 days before your expiration date. It is important to keep your certificates of attendance in a safe place during the year. You will submit these certificates as proof of credit to your licensing worker. For license renewal, foster parents need to provide the licensing worker with a copy of the training certificate and the Foster Parent Training Report form (470-2540) (see links below). Please be sure to read more about training requirements in the DHS Foster Parent Handbook.